I beat the game on Neutral path today, and it kind of just... ends, as if there was more to see or do but you never really get to see it. It was also very nihilistic, but then again that is kind of par for the course when it comes to SMT.

One thing of note:

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The Eastern Kingdom of Mikado was founded by a samurai named Aquila. Near the end of the game you are transported to parallel universes where you help out someone who says he will build a kingdom called the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado in your honor. This person's name is... Akira. Akira = Aquila? I wonder at the significance.

I beat the game on Neutral path today, and it kind of just... ends, as if there was more to see or do but you never really get to see it. It was also very nihilistic, but then again that is kind of par for the course when it comes to SMT.

One thing of note:

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The Eastern Kingdom of Mikado was founded by a samurai named Aquila. Near the end of the game you are transported to parallel universes where you help out someone who says he will build a kingdom called the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado in your honor. This person's name is... Akira. Akira = Aquila? I wonder at the significance.

Really, that is what you felt about the Neutral path? I thought it was the most fulfilling of them all since you got to fight both of the big bosses and the ending dealt with a lot more than the other two. The mysterious girl only matters on the Neutral route and same with

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Fujiwara/Masakado.

What about it didn't you like exactly? It sounds more like you got the Bad ending since you mention abruptness.

As for your spoiler stuff, you were supposed to make that connection and it is pretty cool. I really like this game.

Not surprised it's getting such great reviews, but I don't think it deserves an editorial choice award (which is subjective, i get that). It's a good game, but I hate how random the battles feel and how one enemy smirk can potentially wipe your party. It's sitting at an 84-86 on metacritic which is what I would rate it. I'd bitch more about the price but I'm fairly certain that $30 dollar gift shop card may have something to do with it =P

The way I see it, the Editors Choice Award is just to show that the editors themselves enjoyed the game a lot. Some games can be objectively great. As in, get 90+% score-wise. Though the editor might still not considerate one of their favorite games.

At least, that's what I'm thinking whenever I give it.

I know the "What's This" part of image says something different, but I think giving something a score of 95-100% shows that it is in some way exceptional.

You can re-enter Blasted and Infernal Tokyo any time after you've locked your path. Maybe not on Law, I'm not sure,but on Neutral and Chaos you can. Just go back to the transporter. This lets you explore the areas that were closed off yourfirst time in Infernal Tokyo, for example.

Not surprised it's getting such great reviews, but I don't think it deserves an editorial choice award (which is subjective, i get that). It's a good game, but I hate how random the battles feel and how one enemy smirk can potentially wipe your party. It's sitting at an 84-86 on metacritic which is what I would rate it. I'd bitch more about the price but I'm fairly certain that $30 dollar gift shop card may have something to do with it =P

To be fair, in previous SMT games, a back attack could wipe you out too. Previous SMT games have never been lacking in ways to completely wipe you out one way or another. I would personally rate this game something like a 4.5/5. To me, it does more things right than it does wrong. Of course, this game is wide open for plenty of criticism considering the long wait between it and Nocturne, which is praised as one of the best games in the entire SMT franchise.

What about it didn't you like exactly? It sounds more like you got the Bad ending since you mention abruptness.

As for your spoiler stuff, you were supposed to make that connection and it is pretty cool. I really like this game.

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Well, you defeat Merkabah and Lucifer, but you never really get an explanation of the powers behind them. The girl who keeps talking at the beginning grows up and... nothing happens. Then there's Masakado, who takes your guardian deities and tears away Mikado and the stonewall... and turns into this giant monstrosity in the center of Tokyo, and you get the feeling that there's something more that the game's not telling you, but it kind of ends there. It's really puzzling to me, especially since in Nocturne you really get an idea as to the powers behind the struggle between demons and angels, whereas here it's just all very fuzzy and vague.

To me, it does more things right than it does wrong. Of course, this game is wide open for plenty of criticism considering the long wait between it and Nocturne, which is praised as one of the best games in the entire SMT franchise.

I found that SMT4 had a "three steps forward, two steps back" design. FOr everything they did right, there was equally as much wrong. My maingripes were in user functionality. I can't sort my abilities, demon fusion is a pain if I want to just fuse two demons I own to make room, the overworld touch screen map is a mess, the game's story has pacing/progression issues, etc. These are problems that weren't present in Nocturne, and if they were, could have been easily fixed.

Well, free Strategy Guide, screw you. Your negligence to avoid talking about the Special Demon in detail in Phantom of Madness was extremely grating.

Instead, all it says about it is "you will fight another special demon in just a little bit." I knew Prima Guides haven't changed ever since they told me Surskit was catchable in Emerald...till the end of the book said it needed to be traded.

The way I see it, the Editors Choice Award is just to show that the editors themselves enjoyed the game a lot. Some games can be objectively great. As in, get 90+% score-wise. Though the editor might still not considerate one of their favorite games.

At least, that's what I'm thinking whenever I give it.

I know the "What's This" part of image says something different, but I think giving something a score of 95-100% shows that it is in some way exceptional.

It also IS one of the largest, most ambitious handheld RPGs out there (at least for one the size of Atlus.) I do agree with Ashton though, with the added stipulation that by doing what most people wanted done (visible encounters) they screwed up what used to be a very nicely manageable system, and the worst part is stuff like Estoma could've been kept and worked the same as it ever did given the enemies rising from the ground effectively are the same as random encounters mechnically (or so I'd assume.)

The game does more right than wrong by far, it's just kind of frustrating when most of the issues are ones earlier entries had no problems handling better. Just within the MegaTen umbrella too, as Persona had enemies flee if they were way underleveled whereas here they seem to all have a death wish.